[RECORDING BEGINS]

ARCHIVIST

Statement of Samuel Adams, regarding an interaction with… an eight-legged deer. Original statement given February 7, 2013. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London. Statement Begins.

 

ARCHIVIST (STATEMENT)

You’ll have to forgive if you struggle with reading this. I’ve always had terrible handwriting, and the details I remember are hazy at best. I doubt you’ll even believe me– nobody else does, but you guys look into this stuff, right? I’d like you to try, at least.

 

This all started around late December, when I’d gotten in touch with a few friends from America. I planned to visit them and ski in the Appalachians, so we set the date for the week of January 27th, and that’s exactly what we did. I booked a ticket and got ready to go. I’ve been skiing for a really long time. Started when I was eight, on a trip to Switzerland. I’m not a bad skier, but not the best. Point is, I didn’t have a freak accident because of inexperience, alright? All of these marks were deliberate, and I was NOT hallucinating. 

 

I actually had a lot of fun that week. Had some great runs, the snow was pretty good, and had a blast hanging with friends I really wish I could see more often. There was a pretty good bar at the lodge where we stayed. It’s called Stag’s Head. The locals say it’s due to the large amount of deer that live near the lodge, in the woods. Apparently they’re pretty friendly, and if you’ve got some chips, they might let you come a little closer. I didn’t see any though. At least, not till the end of my stay. 

 

I’d stepped outside for a second, just to… actually, I’ve no idea what I was doing out there, in the freezing cold and pitch black dark of the woods, illuminated only by the lights from Stag’s Head. I’d had two drinks at most, so I was a little tipsy, but far from unable to make sound decisions. I was just standing there, minding my own business, when I saw it. Well, not entirely. All I saw at first was just two glowing eyes. Then four. Then it moved just close enough so that I could see it, but in the dark, I thought there were two of them. But it was one deer. A common deer, but it wasn’t right. At first I thought it was a doe giving a buck a piggyback ride, of all ridiculous things. But that’s not what it was. The deer had two heads. One doe, with the head of a buck on top with large, branching antlers. And when I looked at the body, it got worse. From where the shoulders of the deer sprouted two legs, and the hind legs looked like they’d split in half, forming two conjoined legs each complete with fully formed hooves. So the whole… thing had two heads, and eight legs total. And it was looking straight. At. Me.

 

  I just kind of stood there. I’m not daft, I wasn’t planning on approaching it. And this is going to sound really stupid, but it looked furious at me. Like I’d personally offended it, somehow. I think the worst thing I did was say hello to it, at that point. But then, I made a really stupid choice, and pulled out my phone to take a picture of the thing.

 

I think I was halfway through snapping one photo when it lunged at me. I had no idea deer could be so… violent. Miraculously, my phone was just fine, but I wish I could say that about myself instead. The antlers jabbed me in the stomach, and I found out the hard way that all of those legs were capable of kicking. I’m honestly surprised I was able to stand up, but I did, and saw that deer running back into the forest. And when I looked back, There was something– someone else. This big, hulking figure that I’m pretty sure was a man, but his silhouette made it seem like he had far too many limbs. I think he laughed– a low gravelly chuckle was the last thing I heard before completely blacking out. I woke up to my friends dragging me back into Stag’s head, shrieking for medical attention. 

 

I arrived back in London two days after that happened. I don’t think I’ll stay away from skiing, but I do think I’ll stay out of the woods from now on.

 

ARCHIVIST

Statement ends. I don’t believe this statement was ever properly followed up, but… it seems highly unlikely that it would be successful. Besides, I highly doubt that whatever occurred wasn’t the result of either head trauma or intoxicated hallucinations. We did contact Mr. Adams for a follow-up statement, which he gave willingly enough. According to some locals, they have mentioned seeing something similar, but are wise enough to stay away. Apparently, they have named this deer ‘Francisco’, which is ridiculous enough, if this deer does exist. Mr. Adams did send us the photograph he attempted to take of the thing, but the quality is poor and the only things that can be made out are three pairs of glowing eyes– two from the deer, and one from somewhere in the background. According to Mr. Adams, after asking for more information on this supposed background man, this figure in the background seemed to have a relatively handsome face, was incredibly tall, and seemed to be in possession of the deer.

 

The only other person I can think of with that description would be one Jared Hopworth, though that is only a guess and cannot be confirmed. However, if looking closely in the photograph and also security footage that Sasha managed to retrieve, oddly placed hoof prints can be seen alongside extremely large footprints. Staff at the lodge has reported no such evidence of molds or imprinting devices on the property.

 

Recording ends.

If I were a book, my book jacket would probably be one of those stubborn ones that’s hard to get off. The kind that doesn’t let many people see the inside and they just have to assume what the book is about. But if you were to get past that layer, take the jacket off, and look at the real cover, you would see a beautiful gradient of different colors. Colors that represent who I am on the inside. For instance, you would see some blue that represents that I’m loyal and trustworthy. You would see a mix of pink and purple, like magenta because I am unique and love entertaining my friends and family. There would be spots of white showing that I’m optimistic and honest. There would be some orange mixed with a bit of bright red to show that I’m energetic and open minded with some determination and passion. But mostly, there would be yellow, because I’m always happy. I’m friendly and funny. I love having fun and always want to be doing something with my friends.  If someone were to take my book jacket off, they would see a sunset fading on the horizon.

 

“We should go to France for our 4-year anniversary,” she said in excitement.

“I would love to, I can book tickets for next week.” He said as they were getting ready to sleep. 

A week passes.

The young couple are staying in a stable Airbnb. There’s no issue attached to it. They get ready to go to a fancy restaurant. As they were driving there, they noticed a few odd people at the restaurant. They have full black clothing which is suspicious but the couples don’t think much of it. The young couple are matching. The woman is wearing a long bright red sparkly dress with black sparkly heels. The man is wearing a black suit, a white shirt with a vibrant red bow tie, and black shoes. As they were settling in, the server walked up and asked what they would like to drink.. The woman said “May I have a pink lemonade.” she blushed at him. 

“I would like the finest wine you offer,” he said while smiling at his girlfriend. In the middle of their date, criminals showed up. They were shooting up the place. Everyone was hiding under the tables, the chefs left their station and the building, people were calling 911, and people were shot… including the woman. She stood up to help a young little girl and POW, she was looking directly at her husband when she fell. The man was paralyzed, he was standing still holding onto something in his pocket, and he was numb. The ambulance and police did not arrive on time, the criminals escaped. The woman was lying on the ground holding onto her belly, there were tears in her eyes and blood was coming out of her mouth. He realized what just happened… they were not going to make it. 

And then that’s when I woke up. I had the worst nightmare.

 

Winter. Its claws rake across barren fields of slushy grass and frozen mud. Grey, dull visions of daily weather left unchanging. When the only contagious thing is the flu and the billowing wind sweeps away all possible plans for outdoor play, young children lay idle and restless. Is there an end in sight? 

The lamps lining the parking lot sidewalk cast an orange glow over the drifting snow, blanketing each crack. Behind me, I trail a path of hollowed out footprints. Beside me, lazy cars meander, eager to return home. Yet snowplows hold them sleeping in their lanes, puffing clouds of condensation in response to the exhaustion of air conditioning. That frigid breeze builds, sweeping snow over roofs and down to the sparkle that shines off the lights bouncing from house to house, twinkling with anticipation. 

Winter. Dressed in gray and frosty blues, gazes over intricate shapes and flurries, falling from the sky. They dance and sing. I can hear them ringing as they hit my bare hands. A soft jingle like a Christmas tune. Why have I never heard of a small speck of snow that is able to trill?

There are red birds. Vibrant and lovely, picking their share of berries off a prickly green bush, each a shade of ruby. Splashes against the crystal-clean snow as they fall. I can hear the chattering of squirrels, their claws tapping against the bare umber trees. Fluffy tails and shiny furry coats slick with condensation. Laughter of children tumbling off their sleds, their acceleration descending as they glide down steep slopes. Joy is contagious, when friends join them in their boisterous excitement. They even build friends, crafting secure snowmen with a shared winter scarf and hat, topped with a crisp carrot nose that their dogs would surely devour if given the chance. I know mine would without hesitation. I watch my own breath dance and twirl as I smile, then walk away.

Winter. Why is it that winter, though characterized with continuous barren and darkness, has so much life to offer? It’s beautiful in its glow; peaceful in the lights that glisten in pure snow. It’s lively and lush, not all but gray, its reds and blues. Even hints of orange hues. It’s warm burrows of sleeping animals, snug as they lie resting. Travel to scenes you know, friends and family of your own. 

Winter comes and winter goes, sometimes it’s nice to appreciate the cold!